Anantnag: Illegal fishing of Brown Trout, a rare breed of fish, goes unabated at Trout-Beats along Brengi Nallah, here in the Anantnag district of South Kashmir, right under the nose of the administration.
Making things worse, the poachers have been using harmful chemicals to swell the size of their catch, while the Fisheries Department has been able to do nothing to prevent it.
Sources in the department told Kashmir Reader that illegal fishing has been going on for a while now, in some particular areas along the Brengi Nallah. “The beats include Devalgam, Vailoo, Middle Novbugh, Lower Novbugh, Bidihaad, Upper Brengi, Daksum Rakh, and others,” a source in the department told Kashmir Reader.
He said that the caught Brown Trout is sold in the black market and can fetch as much as Rupees 1200 per Kilogram, given the fact that it is a rare fish and can be found only in this particular area.
“The lucrative illegal trade has lured some people from inside the Fisheries department as well, who team up with the poachers and get benefited in cash,” the source said, adding that the fish are sold discreetly.
The brown trout, also known as Salmo Trutta, is a species of fish found generally in Europe and is considered to be a superfood. However, catching this particular fish is not allowed in Kashmir, given they are rare and might go extinct.
The fact that the poachers use harmful chemicals to catch these fish makes their survival all the more precarious.
“The trout fish is on the verge of extinction in this part of the world and the only reason is this mindless illegal fishing. The authorities should take stringent steps to put curbs on it,” the source in the department said.
Also, the source said that an awareness programme needs to be formulated to make people understand why they should refrain from buying the fish.
Kashmir Reader talked to the Deputy Director of the Fisheries department in Anantnag, Muhammad Siddiq Wani, who said that there was a dearth of staff which always leaves unattended trout beats.
“We have 11 men manning more than 100 kilometers and it is not humanly possible that they can watch over all the areas,” Wani said, adding that his department takes regular action against anyone found flouting the rules.
He said that he will send a team again and a thorough investigation will be carried into it. “The use of chemicals is news to me, and I will surely look into it as well. We do not take such things lightly, action will be taken,” he said.

Suhail A Shah